Marco stands firm vs. higher hotels, condos

Marco Island won’t become a canyon of towering resort hotels or condominiums if city officials have anything to do with it. Or at least, city officials drew a line in the island’s beach sand this week with a vow not to allow any more “canyonization” to take place.

The City Council backed planning board recommendations on proposed land-use amendments aimed at curbing the canyonization. It especially stood firm in support of the planners’ advice to restrict building height in the island’s residential tourist zoning district to 150 feet.

The council’s stand came on a 5-1 vote Monday night during first reading of an ordinance to amend the residential tourist district’s land-use rules.

The residential tourist district is on South Collier Boulevard on the west side, or beach side, of the recently improved four-lane thoroughfare. The Hilton, Marriott, Radisson and other beachside resort developments and several condominiums occupy several tall buildings in the district. Some buildings are more than 200 feet tall.

The council’s vote Monday night came despite pleas from the potential purchasers of the Marco Radisson Suite Beach Resort to allow taller buildings. Councilman Chuck Kiester was the lone dissenter. Councilman Ted Forcht was absent.

Marriott Vacations Club International, headquartered in Orlando, has a purchase contract in place to buy the aging Radisson and convert it into a time share development that will be marketed worldwide in the company’s chain.

Marriott representatives pleaded with the council to increase the 150-foot height restriction to 175 feet. The company wants to put 219 time share units in a fully redeveloped resort on the Radisson property at 600 S. Collier Blvd.

The proposed 219 units represent a 6 percent reduction in density as compared to the Radisson’s current 232 units, Marco attorney Craig Woodward noted.

Woodward represents Marriott in its purchase contract of $58 million to buy the Radisson, with hopes to close the purchase by around July 10.

“My clients wanted 200 feet. The planning board wanted 175 feet and then settled on 150 feet,” Woodward told the council. “The Radisson is 139.2 feet tall now. We’re asking for 175 feet. Currently, the Marbelle (condominium) is 170 feet, the Sand Piper (condominium) is 202 feet. So we feel 175 is within reason. The 175 feet will give more room for parking under the building.”

Woodward said Marriott wants to put two parking levels on the first two floors of the remodeled development. Plans are to tear down the Radisson’s parking building that sits on the property’s outer parcel along South Collier Boulevard. The old parking building is considered an eyesore to some locals.

“Is the purchase of the property contingent upon approval of this ordinance tonight?” Councilman Rob Popoff asked Marriott officials.

“I can’t be too specific because of a confidentiality agreement we have with the seller,” replied David Holton, Marriott’s senior vice president of Resort Development. “But it is extremely important to our decision to close on this transaction.”

The council ignored Holton’s mild warning and backed the planners’ recommendation to stick with 150 feet — under a conditional-use permit.

Popoff and Councilmen Bill Trotter and Mike Minozzi noted that even with a 150-foot height limit, the ordinance as written has language that allows for at least an extra 15 to 20 feet.

“If we approved 175 feet, that would allow for another 20 feet for an elevator,” Trotter said. “That would get you to 195 feet.”

“At 150 feet, plus the flood plain and center of the roof allowances, you end up at 170 feet anyway,” Minozzi said.

“There’s plenty of different footprints they can use and still achieve the height they need to work in the 219 units,” Trotter said. “I support the 150 feet to limit the canyonization of Collier Boulevard.”

Marco Island Community Development Director Vince Cautero explained Wednesday that the 150-foot height is measured from the base flood elevation to the midpoint of the roof. The actual height can exceed 150 feet for elevator towers and for architectural embellishments such as cupolas.

“Fifteen feet is the average height of structures that would exceed the 150-foot requirement,” Cautero said in an e-mail. “Thus, I expect the (Marriott) architect to come in with plans for a total height of approximately 165 feet.”

Trotter disagreed with Woodward’s notion that canyonization only occurs when tall buildings are built on both sides of a street.

“We’ve got it going right now on one side of South Collier and we’re trying to get away from that,” Trotter said.

The council did agree to a request to change the maximum square footage allowed for a time share unit from 1,250 square feet to 1,300 square feet. Twenty percent of the units can be larger than 1,300 square feet if the developer provides public beach access, Cautero said.

The council opposed the company’s suggestion to remove language in the amendment that requires time share developments to retain at least 7 percent of dwelling units for use as overnight hotel rooms available for rent daily. That requirement remains intact.

The ordinance comes back to the council July 17 for final approval.

The Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce offered no position on the zoning amendments. But Chamber President Lee Willer-Spector applauded the positive impact the potential redevelopment of the Radisson property will have on the city.

“We will be pleased to see a responsible owner of the former Radisson turn the space into a splendid building, adding to the charm and allure of the island and contributing to the economic base of the community,” she said.